Efadel's Musings

I resume my blogging activities, after a long unplanned furlough induced by tragic events in 2017. “Legends: Kings and Kingdoms”, a musical produced and directed by Gbenga Yusuf and Ayodeji Ajayi, brought me so much joy and dragged me to my keyboard to do a review. “Legends: Kings and Kingdoms” brings history into a contemporary world, as the priestess of Modaland attempts to conquer the evil called the Shadow in collaboration with some legends of Africa. It celebrates the beauty of the arts in the costumes of the actors, the music drawn from the different cultures represented on stage, and the kinetic fluidity in the dances. The stage is minimalist though, and the changes of the settings are represented by pictures on the screen. The production also makes good use of lighting to transition from one scene to another, especially as the stage is a right angle, and sometimes, characters are positioned on both sides of the stage and swift transition is required for the continuity of...

As I type this on Thursday, 13 th   April 2017, the opening show for Fela The Concert Lagos is ongoing somewhere in Eko Hotels and Suites. And I have been thinking, if the man Fela were alive, what kind of show would he organize? I did not know the man Fela when he was alive. I knew some of his songs, and he was popular, so I heard about him from time to time, especially when he made the news. But I did not know the man. Based on what I have read and heard, I probably would have been confused. I would have struggled with some aspects of his life (his personal and moral shortcomings), and held him in awe in other aspects. But I did not know the man when he lived. I have grown to like his music, and I wonder about the man who created such beautiful music. If   Abami Eda , the weird one, were alive, would he organize a show in collaboration with the Lagos State Government? The same government responsible for the displacement of the members of Otodo Gbame riverin...

If you happen to be in Lagos, Nigeria, in April 2017, and you haven't seen Wakaa the Musical, you should. It is a very beautiful piece, and it's showing every Sunday in April, and during the Easter holidays too. Here's my take on it: Plot ✓ Cast ✓ Dialogue ✓ Music ✓ Lighting ✓ Costume ✓ There was no boring moment from the beginning to the end. And at the end, the audience had no option but to give the cast and crew a standing ovation. And it got me thinking... Nigeria is a paradise managed by demons. Yes, a paradise - our climate, our natural resources, and our skills and talents. But it appears that the place is populated with demons of different grades across strata, and animals in human skin, with only a few mortals sprinkled between, and no angels.  The characters in the play are so familiar. I know some of them; you probably know them too - so many Kikes and Rexes, gold diggers. While we want to blame those in government, I've be...